Relegation looms as Ireland last in Aachen
Ireland are now back at the bottom of the Samsung Super League with just the final in Barcelona remaining.
However, it looked as if it would be so different at the German fixture when Corkman Billy Twomey was on his way to a second round clear and leave Ireland as runners-up.
However, the last fence intervened as anchor man Twomey and his mount Anastasia III crashed into the final element of the combination.
He re-presented at the three part fence only to knock the middle element and also pick up four time faults to leave Ireland last in the closely-fought contest.
Chef D’Equipe, John Ledingham said: “Billy jumped two class rounds only for one mistake to turn a great result into disaster.”
Shane Breen and World Cruise gave Ireland the perfect start with a clear round. World champion, Dermott Lennon had an unlucky four faults with the stallion Condios, captain Shane Carey provided the discard score of 13 on Killossery before Twomey and Anastasia finished on four to leave the team fifth at the halfway stage on eight faults.
If round one started well, round two was the opposite as Breen finished on 12 faults, Lennon added eight with captain Carey putting the challenge back on track with another four faults. Then came Twomey’s uncharacteristic finish, leaving Ireland on a total of 32.
Victory for the US with 13 faults put them top of the super league on 43 points.
Ireland prop up the league on 15 points with the Netherlands 3.5 ahead, Belgium are third last on 19.
With the future looking bleak, Ledingham and refused to concede that relegation was more a probabilitythan a possibility, with the teamfinishing last at the end of the season demoted.
“With double points in Barcelona next month we must finish fifth or better and have the Dutch and/or Belgium behind us,” said a disappointed Ledingham.
He also hit out at Harry Marshall and Jessica Kürten who refused to ride for Ireland in the dispute with the selectors and fellow showjumper Cian O’Connor.
“The ball is in the rider’s court, if the riders won’t ride when selected, that’s petty, there’s no point in throwing stones at management, it is the riders who will suffer if we are relegated”, said Ledingham.
